The number of men going under the knife to get rid of their so-called man boobs has increased by 38 per cent in the last year, new statistics show.

Man boobs - or moobs - as they are known, are the bane of many men's lives, with high-profile sufferers including Ricky Gervais and Simon Cowell.

Excessive development of male breasts - also known as gynaecomastia - is
thought to affect 40 per cent of men and it seems the proportion is
rising.

Dr Dennis Wolf at The Private Clinic on Harley Street, which released the figures, said: 'I have certainly noticed an increase in the number of men who come to me to find out more about male chest reduction procedures.

'Today men are more aware of the treatments available to them and are more open to the possibility of undergoing a cosmetic procedure in a bid to get the shape and the physique that they would like.'

Other figures out today, released by cosmetic surgery firm Transform, show a 28 per cent increase in moob operations in the last year - and it may be due to the Olympic effect, say surgeons. It's thought the buff bodies on display this summer may have prompted men to get rid of their moobs.

Spokesperson Pat Dunion said: 'Man boobs can be difficult to shift using exercise alone. More and more men who are feeling self conscious about the size of their chest area are turning to chest reduction surgery - also known as gynaecomastia - to overcome their problem and boost their confidence.'

She added: 'With male celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, David Beckham and Tom Daley regularly showing off their super toned bodies, men have become far more aware of how they look.'

Male surgery accounts for 10 per cent of all cosmetic surgery procedures, according to the latest figures from the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) .

And moob ops retained their place as the second most common procedure for men, rising by seven per cent from 741 to 790. Five years ago it was half that figure.

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One theory is that the toned bodies on display at the Olympics - such as that of bronze medalist Tom Daley - have spurred on some men to get in shape

It's often assumed that man boobs are simply linked to obesity but there are other causes as well, according to BAAPS.

The condition can be provoked by an imbalance of the sex hormones
oestrogen and testosterone, and can also be triggered by certain
medication like antidepressants, heart and liver pills.

It has also been linked to some cancer drugs which cut levels of male
hormones, and there is also evidence that anabolic steroids can cause
further breast tissue growth.

Some experts have also attributed it to rising levels of female hormones in the environment.

Some men are genetically predisposed to moobs, says Professor Kefah Mokbel, a breast surgery specialist at St George’s and the Princess Grace Hospitals, London.

‘Why one man’s breasts will go on to develop more than another man’s is genetically determined in the same way that some women will have bigger breasts than others,’ he said.

But the trigger may well be lifestyle, he says. The condition occurs when men have excess levels of the female hormone oestrogen.

And obesity, particularly around the abdomen, increases levels of oestrogen because of the enzyme aromatose,’ says Pierre-Marc Bouloux, professor of endocrinology at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust.

The high sugar content in alcohol is a contributory factor, by increasing weight gain.

WHAT IS MOOB SURGERY?

The breast is made up of two main components, glandular tissue (firm
and dense) and fatty tissue (soft). The ratio of glandular to fatty
tissue in any breast varies from individual to individual and in gynaecomastia there may be an
excess of both. If there is predominantly a diffuse fatty enlargement of
the breast, liposuction is the usual treatment.

This involves sucking out the tissue through a small tube inserted via a 3-4mm incision. If excess glandular tissue is the primary cause of breast enlargement,
it may need to be excised (cut out) with a scalpel. This will leave a
scar, usually around the nipple edge.

This excision can be performed alone or in conjunction with liposuction.
Major reductions that involve the removal of a significant amount of
tissue and skin may require larger incisions that result in
more obvious scars.

Most operations for gynaecomastia take about 90
minutes and are performed under general anaesthetic, or in
some cases, under local anaesthesic with sedation.